University of Scranton

10/03/2025 | Press release | Archived content

Office of Community-Based Learning Announces Faculty Fellows

The office of Community-Based Learning (CBL) announces the third cohort of its CBL Faculty Fellows Program. This program is aimed at recognizing, rewarding and supporting exemplary faculty who are eager to fully integrate CBL as an intentional pedagogical strategy into their courses and/or curricular-based projects. CBL is an immersive academic experience which invites students to work with individuals, groups, or local organizations to meet community-defined needs.

The Faculty Fellows program seeks to expand, strengthen, and institutionalize CBL at the University as a demonstration of its commitment to Jesuit values and the common good.

"The CBL program at the University of Scranton has 20-30 faculty engaged in CBL partnerships throughout the community each academic year. This faculty cohort is focused on developing new or enhanced curricular opportunities that meet community needs in the areas of health and business. Engaging with community is central to the Jesuit mission at The University of Scranton. Engagement ensures students put into action their learning in meaningful ways," said Debra Fetherman, Ph.D., CBL Faculty Coordinator, Professor and Department Chair of the Health and Human Performance Department.

The 2025-2026 academic year CBL faculty fellows are listed below, including their department, course, and/or their project of focus.

Dr. Kristina Dorkoski, Physical Therapy

Kristina Dorkoski, PT, DPT, NCS, CEEAA, is a faculty specialist in the University's Physical Therapy Department. Her project aims to expand her student's community-based learning opportunities in order to better prepare them to effectively educate members of our Scranton community. Students will observe clinicians teaching community members in support groups and wellness programs to expand upon their knowledge to guide their instruction of patients, caregivers and colleagues.

Community collaborators will work with students who are completing a needs assessment to gauge a comprehensive understanding of each institution's goals. Through this partnership, students and community partnership organizations will fulfill unmet needs while students achieve their course objectives. This collaboration cultivates future healthcare professionals who are both skilled and compassionate while strengthening ties between the university and broader Scranton community. By engaging in meaningful practice related to their fields of interest, students are empowered to make a lasting impact beyond the classroom.

Dr. Katherine Stefanelli, Counseling and Human Services

Katherine Stefanelli, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the University's counseling and human services department. Her project, Where We Live: Supporting the Royal Campus Community Through Advocacy and Facilitation, aims to train students to act as facilitators in the Royal P.A.C.T. program on campus. P.A.C.T. (Promoting Awareness of the College Transition) is a required for all first-year students to attend and addresses issues such as healthy relationships, relationship violence, stalking, sexual assault, consent and the plethora of available campus resources.

It operates as a peer-to-peer program that encourages conversations between incoming students and upper-class students. Dr. Stefanelli is teaming with the Jane Kopas Women's Center for this training. The specific students chosen to complete this training are undergraduate students, in her case management and interviewing course, who are solidifying their basic skills for counseling which enforce active listening, advocacy and action. By connecting skills learned in the classroom and meaningful campus involvement, the project allows students to create awareness in the environments in which they reside and interact. This collaboration will strengthen peer support networks and reinforce the university's commitment to fostering a safe and supportive environment.

Dr. Mehmet Yetim, Management and Marketing

Mehmet Yetim, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the University's management and marketing department. Through his project, Aiding the Development and Competitiveness of Small Businesses in Scranton, students will contribute their foundational knowledge of management to the greater Scranton community. The project aims to foster growth and resilience in Scranton's small business scene by enhancing their marketing presence.

Students will collaborate with community partners to create detailed business profiles that highlight each company's history and mission. Students are also offered the opportunity to conduct market analyses to recommend actionable strategies for success with their partner organization. Through this project, classroom theory will intersect with real-world practice while supporting the economic ecosystem in our community. The goal is to promote sustainable and community-focused collaborations. By engaging directly with local entrepreneurs, students will gain hands-on experiential learning. This collaborative approach within our community reinforces the university's commitment to community partnership while promoting student growth and professional development.

Dr. Aaron Ziegler, Communication Sciences and Disorders and Speech-Language Pathology

Aaron Ziegler, Ph.D. CCC-SLP, is an assistant professor in the University's health and human performance department. His project, Service, Advocacy, and Impact: Enhancing Community-Based Learning in SLP Distance Education, encourages master's students to implement CBL projects in their own communities. The Master of Science (MS) in Speech-Language Pathology program is an online program with students from coast to coast. They will be encouraged to engage in their own communities by partnering with an organization to address a community-defined need.

Dr. Ziegler aims to analyze three years of their programs' CBL data, father stakeholder feedback, and refine the programs' summative assessment to enhance its impact on the students and community collaborators. By strengthening community partnerships across the various locations in which the students, the project highlights the manner in which distance education can foster real-world change. This initiative supports the students' professional development while simultaneously amplifying the voices of community organizations they partner with. Ultimately, the project demonstrates the lasting impact of connecting higher education with meaningful community engagement.

University of Scranton published this content on October 03, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 08, 2025 at 20:36 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]